Low number of children accessing immunisation worry NG0

By ROGERS KALERO

THE number of children accessing immunisation services in some parts of the Copperbelt has reportedly drastically reduced, thereby posing a serious threat to the health of such vulnerable children.
A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dealing in health matters, Alejo Community Support Project, has disclosed that the children not accessing immunisation services are mainly from poor communities where parents are said to be facing financial problems.
Alejo Community Support Project Executive Director, Alex Mutale, said less than 50 percent of children in three mining towns of Mufulira, Ndola and Kitwe are shunning health facilities for various reasons.
Mr Mutale said the absence of children from health centres was worrying and should, therefore, be addressed urgently, adding that it was for this reason that his organisation has engaged Community Based Volunteers (CBV) who have now been tasked to reach out to families whose children need the vital health care.
“As an NGO dealing in health issues, we are worried or rather concerned that the number of children accessing immunisation services in some parts of the Copperbelt has reportedly drastically reduced. This is posing a serious threat to the health of such vulnerable children whose parents and guardians are not accessing immunisation health care for various reasons.
“As a way of reaching out to guardians and parents whose children are unable to access immunisation services, we have trained 104 CBVs who will now be visiting different communities communicating the importance of having their children access vital vaccines which is paramount to their health. We are urging parents to follow the child vaccine schedule’s and not shun such services,” Mr. Mutale said.
And Ndola District Senior Nursing Officer, Maternal and Child Health in the Ministry of Health, Joan Manda thanked Alejo Community project for donating the bicycles.
Ms. Manda added that parents should not shun health centers, adding that Infectious disease experts recommend children to get vaccines to protect them from serious and potentially life-threatening d